Happy New Year! I am so excited for 2014 - looking to another fun filled year of sewing and blogging :) This is my first sewn garment of the year, and while it was intended for the Sewcialists' Green December, other things (HOLIDAYS!) just seemed to keep getting in the way - lol. Thankfully the last few days of break were all about the sewings, so I had time to whip up this little beauty! Oh, and I got bangs!




I have had these two hunter green knit remnants in my stash for a long time, just waiting for the perfect pattern to come along. The yardage was small, however (less than a yard each) so I knew I couldn't get a dress out of it (like the beautiful one below). Then I saw this adorable peplum top on pinterest and knew what I had to do! I had the Simplicity peplum top pattern in my stash, and when I imagined it with the lace as the overlay and sleeves and I knew it could be something special! Thankfully I had just enough yardage :)

Flounce Lace Peplum Tee     ::     Simplicity 1539     ::     Milly Lace Dress



Here are the details:

Pattern: Simplicity 1539

Size: 12

My Shape: Tall (6'), pear shape, narrow shoulders, long torso

Fabric:
Interlock Knit in Ponderosa (remnant - 2/3 yd) - Joanns
Stretch Lace (remnant - 3/4 yd) - Vogue Fabrics

Size Alterations:

- Took in back bodice piece by about 1 inch total at center seam
- Usually I grade up to the 14 for the waist, but I kept it at 12 and it is plenty big enough
- Would have added length to peplum, but did not have enough fabric :(

Design Changes:

- Omitted zipper - looks cool but not really necessary
- Cut front bodice overlay and sleeves in stretch lace, and rest of top in solid knit

Construction Notes:

- Back bodice neckline is finished with a "facing" which is actually very similar to bias tape - stays put for the most part, but I did hand stitch the center back seam to the facing at the top to keep them both from poking out
- If you are leaving out the zipper I would highly recommend waiting to stitch the back bodice pieces together until after you sew overlay to the front bodice - I didn't and it is a pain to keep the back bodice out of the way while sewing together the two front pieces - save yourself the trouble ;)
- The front neckline is finished beautifully, hidden between the overlay and the main bodice fabric. You can't see the seam on mine through the lace, due to it being a darker color, however if you were going to try this in a lighter color lace, you might want to finish the front pieces together with a facing the same way you do the back to hide the seam


The Verdict:  This top is definitely a WIN in my book! It's also pretty unique, so I'm not sure if I would make another one. Although, it did look super cute before I attached the sleeves, so maybe a sleeveless one is in my future! What do you think - would you try this style top???

P.S. - Didn't really want to debut the new hair style in a ponytail, but with it down, you couldn't see the lace bow on the top! Here are just a couple pics I got before realizing my great dilemma! :)


If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you may have seen these pics of the hair, and a sneak peak at this top :) If you don't yet, let's be friends! Find the links in the side bar under "Let's Socialize!" :)